Who Should I Start? Jaylen Warren or Brock Purdy


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
15.4 58.1 0.6 3.3 22.6 0.1

Jaylen Warren News

Jaylen Warren Likely to be in Third-Down, Change-of-Pace Role in 2026

Tuesday, March 10, 10:19 AM

The Athletic's Saad Yousuf, Dianna Russini, and Mike DeFabo believe that with the addition of new running back Rico Dowdle in free agency, "there's a good shot" that Dowdle will be in the 1A role, and Pittsburgh Steelers RB Jaylen Warren will be the "change-of-pace" back. The 5-foot-8 Warren has been "at his best in a third-down role and out of the shotgun." It means that the 27-year-old will likely take over the pass-catching duties that Kenneth Gainwell had in 2025, when he caught a career-high 73 passes for 486 yards and three touchdowns in 17 regular-season games. Warren was the RB17 in half-PPR scoring last year, going for a career-high 958 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground on 211 carries in 16 games, adding 40 catches for 333 yards and two TDs as a pass-catcher. The addition of Dowdle is definitely a big hit to Warren's overall fantasy value going into 2026, but his role as a pass-catcher shouldn't be taken lightly in PPR formats, especially if veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers returns.


Week 1 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
19.1 14.9 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0

Brock Purdy News

Brock Purdy Has a New Number One Wide Receiver to Work with in San Francisco

Friday, March 13, 2:31 PM

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy battled a nagging toe injury for much of the first half of the 2025 season and was ultimately sidelined for eight games. Still, the 26-year-old got hot down the stretch and ultimately put together solid numbers in the nine games he was able to play, completing 69.4% of his pass attempts for 2,167 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. Purdy also made a modest fantasy impact with his legs, rushing for 147 yards and three scores. Purdy could be without a couple of key weapons for at least the start of 2026, as star tight end George Kittle (Achilles) will likely miss the start of the year with a torn Achilles tendon, and wide receiver Jauan Jennings is currently lingering in unrestricted free agency. However, San Francisco made one of the biggest splashes of the offseason by signing star wide receiver Mike Evans, who immediately gives Purdy a high-end downfield and red zone target. The 49ers could also get more out of wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, who has been limited by injuries to just 20 games played over his first two NFL seasons. While the loss of Kittle hurts, San Francisco still has a solid supporting cast around Purdy that should allow the young QB to continue to be a productive option for fantasy managers.


Jaylen Warren vs. Brock Purdy

Still trying to decide between Warren and Purdy? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Jaylen Warren is projected to score 15.4 points this week while Brock Purdy is projected to score 19.1 points.